Sending an alarm message to email or cell phone?

[TyJ]

We have a waste water plant on our facility here and it is on auto pilot over night so no one is in the near vacinity to it. So when an alarm goes off it isnt even seen until the next morning causing numerous problems along the way. Is there any way to send an alarm message to an email or cell phone. Thanks

 

[Ken Roach]

It depends on the controller or HMI you are using, of course. Your other posts to the Forum suggest you use Allen-Bradley, but I don't know any specifics about your systems.

Some controllers have e-mail functionality built-in; if your automation network has an Internet connection, they can send an e-mail. Most mobile phones include an SMS-from-email function, where you send the message to [email protected] and it appears as a text message.

Many HMI software packages also have some degree of e-mail or SMS integration with their alarming system. Win911 is the longtime king of the software market for that kind of feature.

If all I had to go on was "I need some alarms from a PLC to be sent as text messages", would grab a Red Lion DataStation Plus. They are easy to use, inexpensive, connect to nearly anything, and can send out messages over a cellular modem module or their Ethernet network ports. But if your HMI or PLC already has that capability, I would see if the built-in functions can do the job.

 

[TyJ]

HMI is panel view plus 600 and it is either control logix or compact logix

 

[geniusintraining]

This is a little old but read this... http://www.plctalk.net/qanda/showthread.php?t=24796

I installed a couple of these, that had several messages (depending on the alarm) but they worked very good

 

[TConnolly]

AB actually did an online seminar on the subject of using MSG instructions to send email messages and text messages to a phone just last month. There are a number of technotes in the KB showing how to set it up. After reading the linked thread you might want to look there.

 

[TyJ]

where can i view these technotes at?

 

[Ken Roach]

Do you have a support contract with Rockwell Automation ? This is called a 'TechConnect' contract, comes in several versions at several price points, and is required to access many of Rockwell Automation's online and telephone support services.

RA hosts most 'Technotes' in the Rockwell Automation Knowledgebase.

https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/

At the very least, get a login account with RA, so you can view the technotes listed as 'Access Level: Everyone'.

The TechConnect 'Genius' webinars are indexed here (Access Level: Everyone).

https://rockwellautomation.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/478324

The February 2013 webinar specifically addressed sending e-mails from controllers.

 

[jdbrandt]

We have a waste water plant on our facility here and it is on auto pilot over night so no one is in the near vacinity to it. So when an alarm goes off it isnt even seen until the next morning causing numerous problems along the way. Is there any way to send an alarm message to an email or cell phone. Thanks

Honestly, regardless of the installed PLC, for this function, I would use an Idec Micro Pentra...period. All the functionality is built-in, and the original control system can remain untouched.

 

[nonuke]

You can use an unit similar to this one because there are many types availabe in the market.
They are not expensive and are simple to configure and can send more than one message (one for each input).

http://www.seneca.it/prodotti.php?id_p=254&set_language=eng

 

[Andratch]

GE also has a product called Mobility that's DESIGNED to push alarms and messages to phones and tablets via wifi or cell network. You can actually download the app for it in the App Store and play around with it some. Really nice interface/GUI as well. It also has the ability to prioritize, assign, and push alarms to the closest tech, so that your staff doesn't all get flooded with the same stuff.

I've seen it in use at a Semiconductor plant, a military base, a refinery, and a water/wastewater plant - works like a charm. I can get more info on the Water application if you want...PM me and I'll e-mail you a bunch of documentation I found on it.

 

[TyJ]

Ok, so i have been a little slow on this project, other things keep coming up.... so i found out that i have a compact logix L18er already installed in our waste water plant which is supposed to be able to send out emails. Any help with this?

 

[TyJ]

i guess i should be more specific, i went thru the online webinar from febuary on this and understand the logic part of this but i cant figure out how to connect to our network of a different ip so it can communicate with the smtp server

 

[curlyandshemp]

We have a waste water plant on our facility here and it is on auto pilot over night so no one is in the near vacinity to it. So when an alarm goes off it isnt even seen until the next morning causing numerous problems along the way. Is there any way to send an alarm message to an email or cell phone. Thanks

You need to check out Inductive Automation's latest version

http://www.inductiveautomation.com/

their latest enhanced alarming module has all you are asking for.

 

[TyJ]

I'm not trying to add unnecessary expense... I have equipment that will do the job. The webinar only explained so much. I just need a little help to get the l18er controller to link up with my companies network. Both hve different ip's.

Example...
Machine has 192.168.100.1 and so on and our network is 192.168.555.444

I shouldn't have to change the ip's of the machine...

 

[TheWaterboy]

At a minimum you must configure a gateway in the ethernet configuration of the controller.
This gateway must also be configured to allow the machine from the first network to reach the smtp server of the other network.